The investment in zero waste systems has shown countless advantages, to create sustainable green jobs, reduce pollution and protect the health of people. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our communities, we are in need of systems that restore and improve the livelihoods of our people.
Nipe Fagio, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania has implemented a zero waste model that combines separation at source, organic waste management and recycling into a decentralised framework. This model will aim to generate jobs for vulnerable groups, increase waste collection and waste management in low-income communities, reduce open burning of waste and dumping, increase the rate of waste being diverted from landfills – at no additional cost to municipalities and create awareness on the improved benefits of improved waste management.
Ana Le Rocha, director of the organisation, stated that:
“Our zero waste model is developed to allow vulnerable populations, such as waste pickers and female community members, to own and lead waste management and earn an income from it. The decentralised framework reduces the burden of waste management on municipal services and allows integration between environmental and social benefits, making it possible for communities of low income to recover the dignity of a clean environment.”
Within the model, every community will have a Material Recovery Facility, where recyclable waste is sorted, organic waste is composted, and residual waste is temporarily stored before being transferred to the official municipal dumpsite.
On the 31st of March, the organisation will stand in solidarity with people across the globe, demanding that our leader go #BeyondRecovery, to a better world where zero waste drives clean air and water, more sustainable jobs, and a healthy environment for our families and communities.
“We demand that decentralised zero waste models become the rule for solid waste management in Tanzania and that communities are given an opportunity to embrace effective waste management by being presented with solutions that fit their needs.”
To mark the Global Day of Action, Nipe Fagio will be holding an inauguration event for the Material Recovery Facility in their Marc Zero community, Bonyokwa by bringing together representatives of all fundamental stakeholders’ groups engaged in making the zero waste model work and getting them to move around and learn in practice the model’s operations.
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